Lionel Faury

Along
the steep, narrow valley that traces the northern Rhône, the appellations of
Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Saint-Joseph take their place among the great wines of
France, and Domaine Faury is one of the region’s most artisanal producers. When
Philippe Faury took over the domaine in 1979, the family was selling wine,
peaches and cherries, and the bulk of their clientele was local. Over the
years, Philippe expanded their holdings to over eleven hectares, and expanded
sales to an international client base.
In addition, he has shared his savoir
faire with his son, Lionel.
Since 2006, Lionel has taken over the reins at Domaine Faury, though
father and son still work side by side.

The
steep slopes of the northern Rhône present a challenging terrain where farming
is only feasible through terracing. On these terraced slopes, the Faurys’ vines
take full advantage of the southern and southeastern sun exposure, benefitting
from optimum ripening. A
combination of the predominately granitic soil, partial de-stemming (in about
70% of the grapes), soft crushing of the grapes with a pneumatic press, and
temperature controlled fermentation offer a liveliness and freshness that one
does not often find in wines from the northern Rhône. There’s a real attention to detail here, and nothing is done
in haste. Every method used
encourages the grape towards greatness with the ultimate respect for its
fragility. Pigeage, the punching of the cap, is not carried out with tools,
but gently by foot – not just poetic but also pragmatic. Unlike many other vignerons in the region, the Faurys have a strong aversion to new
oak. Though the reds definitely see time in barrels, there is a rotation
between new and old alike, along with a variety of sizes, ranging from the
smaller barriques to the larger 600-liter demi-muids. Unfined and only lightly filtered
before bottling, these wines are loaded with classic flavors and show a
remarkable rustic elegance.

Technical Information

Wine

Blend

Vine Age

Soil Type

Vineyard Area*

Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah

Syrah

Planted between 1995 and 2007

Granite

1.35 ha

IGP Syrah “L’Art Zélé”

Syrah

18 years average

Schist

.75 ha

Saint Joseph Rouge

Syrah

Planted between 1979 and 2007

Granite

6.4 ha

Saint Joseph Rouge “Vieilles Vignes”

Syrah

Planted between 1937 and 1976

Granite

.9 ha

Côte-Rôtie

90% Syrah, 10% Viognier

Planted between 1993 and 2008

Schist, Clay

1.7 ha

Côte-Rôtie “Emporium”

Syrah

20 years

Schist

2.5

Saint Joseph Blanc

60% Marsanne, 40% Roussanne

Planted between 1979 and 1998

Granite

1.5 ha

Condrieu

Viognier

Planted between 1976 and 2007

Granite

3.3 ha

* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

Collines
Rhodaniennes Syrah:

• Grapes are 80% de-stemmed

• 10 day
maceration in temperature-controlled cuves

•
Daily pump-overs and punch-downs

•
Malolactic fermentation in demi-muids

•
Aged for 6 months in 3 to 10 year old demi-muids

• Vineyards are located on plateaus at higher altitude than Saint Joseph

IGP Syrah “L’Art Zélé” :

• The name, which could be translated to “zealous, enthusiastic Art” is a play on words on the name of the lieu-dit where these vines grow: “L’Arselié”